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2008 ends on a sad note. The world has plunged into recession . Maybe we can venture a bit further and say – Depression. But then world economy is at the end of the day nothing but money and employment. That is OK. As a rule, whatever goes up has to come down. So we will be back to normal in no time.

what is sad is the massacre of Gaza. I was reading an article in The Hindu today on how a father of age 47 was preparing the funeral of his 2 sons aged 18 and 25. And I think. What is the kind of grief should he be going through? what will happen to his New Year ? What about his plans, dreams, wishes he would have had for his family?

How can you pacify a father who would have spent the best part of his life raising his children filled with dreams and aspirations , only to be taken away by a missile ? what happens to the hard work he would have put for the past 30-40 years where he would have sacrificed a lot to see his kids happy? Why should the world be so cruel to a man who had nothing to do with geo-politics or militancy or terrorism ?

As a fellow human being , what answers do I have for him ? This tragedy was not by nature. If it was of nature’s doing then there is no need for any justification. It was nature doing its work to bring balance. But then this monstrosity is man-made. I am as responsible for his sons death as the people sitting in Israel war cabinet deciding when and where to launch the next strike.

Can the US govt explain to me , why is Israel using bunker busting bombs ( the most devastating non-nuclear bomb) in a city filled with civilians? It is not a battleground . Can the US govt tell me How can they call Iran, North Korea, Iraq as Axis of Evil when the nations who are indulged in the killing are the Us and its Allies? What logic and justification is there in killing innocents ? How can they snuff out the future of a child and yet call themselves victims of terrorism? Haven’t you guys avenged enough for Sept 11?

I haven’t come up with any resolutions yet. But I ask myself today. How can I devote my life so completely to someone and make that person happy no matter what happens around me ? To what extent can I go to sacrifice my happiness to keep others happy? How should I define such a life ?

Here is a reason why mom and pop stores are gonna to stay for a long time to come in India.

Was getting back home around 10 pm today.

There is a Heritage Fresh retail store near to my house. I always stop by to pick a Tropicana juice pack before i head home . Usually i get there before or by 10 pm . Today, I got late and reached there around 10.10 pm. The shop was not yet closed. But they were putting out the lights. I stop there and explain , ” Sorry I got late. Can i just pick up the juice ?” .

The guy at the store says , ” Sorry we are closed. Billing is closed” .

I was like , ” what the hell are you talking about ? the shop is not yet closed. the shutters are not down( The bugger knows that i am aregular customer to his shop. I have been coming here everyday for the past 6-8 months to pick up juice pack) Why cant you just go in there and get me the Rs 18 juice pack .”

But he wouldn’t budge. He put his foot down and refused to get me the juice pack.

I was determined to get my juice today. I went in search of another retail store. I found most the big retail stores closed. Spencer Daily was closed. Daily Life was closed. But …

But, the small shops were open. I zeroed in on a shop named ” Anna Stores” . Not a sophisticated shop at all. He sells stuff across the counter. And guess what ? He has almost everything you would need for day to day household purposes.

He was about to shut the store. It was already close to 10.25 pm. The shutters were down halfway and he was checking if lights were all switched off.

He saw me approaching his shop, gave me a nice smile and asked , ” enna vennum , sir?” ( what do you want sir?)

I dint get my tropicana juice pack. He dint have stock. I got Appy Fizz drink instead. Not exactly the juice I would like to drink before I hit bet. It cost me Rs 25. Why did I buy it ? Because , this guy took the time out to re open the shop , just for me, and offered to sell the stuff I wanted. Even before he re opened the shop I told him that I needed the Tropicana. He knew he dint have stock and yet he said , ” I will check and see if I can give you something else” .

He apologetically added , ” I usually keep 2-4 juice packs for my regular customers. But today i dont have stock. Come tomorrow I will keep one extra for you.”

I beamed …..

See .. The Big Deal is – I was not his regular customer. Rs 25 was not going to set his cash register ringing to a bounty. He could have as well said no to my face and got back home to see his family after a hard day at work. Instead, he knew more about customer service than a professionally managed “hi-funda” retail store like – Fresh.

Now, why did that mom and pop shop owner go about his way to help me out ?

Where do you think I would go tomorrow to get my juice pack, my next soap,Gillette,Maggi noodle purchase?

So here is Big Question – How many of you guys read the India Health Care marketing report released by KPMG ?

No , I am not talking about the press article on the relase of such a report . I am talking about reading the actuall report. I bet , you haven .. All busy with your own life – job, family, gf, bf .. all that stuff..

But you should have ..

Why ?

First check if you have a good health care insurace. If you dont , then may i suggest you get it immediately .. ASAP .. check Star Health Life Insurance or Apollo DKV, LIC or better still, pick Outlook Money mag and they have some good info to help you chose . Recession or no recession. That is no excuse for not getting a well covered health insurance policy.

You dont need a more better reason than that .. like duh! … It is your health in question here ..

But, here is the Big Idea : you should know where India stands in the Health Care sector. If not for humanitarian reason, why not look at it with a corporate eye ? Health Care in India is a un-organized sector . But here is the catch. It is more lucrative than than next-big-thing Retail Sector which hogs the media floodlights almost everyday .

why arent we more concerened on health sector as much as we care about retail boom in the horizon?

Dont ever forget that following sectors are completely recession proof , any day :

Health Care/Hospital Management

Integrated PR

Doctor

Education ( this includes teaching)

It would do us good if we can help in anyway to do something for the health care sector in India . You may be a IAS officer, a marketing professional, PR specialist , web designer.. any profession. Just do your bit ..

Listen, don’t read Paul Krugman because he won the this year’s Nobel for Economics. For a commoner like you and me , whatever he wrote and published on trade theory based on Keynesian concepts will go way out of head.So don’t read him because he won the Nobel prize.

Read because he writes some really good economic stuff in very simple words which is easy to understand and contemplate on.

He is very much against the policies of Bush Government . And rightly so. But when you read his articles you would definitely understand the policies followed by the US Govt and in fact discuss and debate about it with your friends and peer group and claim you say in it ..wont that be simply great ?

He regularly write for New York Times and they get are published in The Hindu news paper.